Klinsmann resisted pressure to abandon his home in southern California, watching matches on television and communicating with players via phone and email.

Most members of Germany's football establishment accepted the commuting but criticism of Klinsmann's approach invariably emerged when the German team performed poorly in the run-up to the 2006 World Cup.

But Manchester City's German midfielder Dietmar Hamann questioned whether the English public would accept Klinsmann as their new coach.

"Would the English people like a German to be in charge of their national team? It is an interesting one."